King's Division set for Whit Friday
The Band of The King’s Division – one of three professional brass bands within the British Army – are once again competing in the world’s biggest brass band contest: the Whit Friday Marches.
In mid-2014 the Band ceased to exist as a military wind band and became the flagship brass band of the Corps of Army Music, alongside their fellow bands: The Band of The Royal Corps of Signals and The band of The Prince of Wales’s Division. Since their formation in April, they have attracted attention from around the world as well as making a name for themselves playing concerts at both the European Finals in Perth and the Great Northern Brass Arts festival in Manchester. The Band has had pieces written for them by a number of leading composers including Philip Sparke and Paul Hindmarsh, and enjoy a working relationship with leading brass band figures including Garry Cutt and Gordon Higginbottom.
Military bands are world renowned as flexible and versatile ensembles and are able to provide musical support for almost any occasion from a full 32 piece concert band and 18 Piece fanfare team, to small ensembles such as a ten-piece and quintets. However, military music will always be most strongly associated with the marching band. The Band has already competed in the Whit Friday marches in 2014 and 2015, and certainly impressed the audiences with their rendition of Robert Browne Hall’s General Mitchell as they marched to the contest stand. As a testament to the quality of the Band they also went on to win several 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes playing The President by William German, with all prize money going to the ABF The Soldiers’ Charity.
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